Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-07-30

The subject is SO important we hope every
lbody win give it careful perusal.
AL F.
ALCOHOL AS A HOUSEHOLD
! REMEDY.
KATE G. BUSHNELL, n. D.
PREs1DENT.-It seems to me quite OBJ
FORTUNE to discuss this question, for it
has been much on my mind for several
days, because of an incident related to
me by our superintendent of prison work;
and as she is present with us to day,
shall ask her to kindly relate to the
union the story of that poor drunken
woman at the jail.
SUPT. PRISON AND JAIL WORK.-Our
president refers to conversation had
with one of the women prisoners In the
Jail few days since. She was sentenced
for three months term in prison for
drunkenness. The case was painfully
interesting one to me, for I had known
the woman in better days. She at one
time moved. in the highest circle OF
fashionable life in this city. Her hus-
band lost his fortune, and died, apparent
| ly from utter encouragement. But the
wife was a woman of remarkable energy,
and not ashamed to work for living.
| Within short time she had won the rep
utation of being the best dressmaker of
the city, and being retiring in disposition
preferred to go about from home to home,
instead of opening public rooms. On
| fortunately, in her more prosperous days
she had formed the habit of drinking
wine at fashionable parties, although not
wholly approving the custom. But now
that her days were full of weary toll she
often drank a glass of vine to whip up
her tagging energies. At last she drank
to excess and was turned out-of-doors in
disgrace by the woman who had hired
her services.
Stung to the heart by keenest remorse,
she then gave her pledge to God in His
strength, to never touch another drop.
This pledge she faithfully kept for more
than year. But one day she became SO
faint from excessive toll, that she would
have fallen to the floor, had not her en-
ployer, protesting Christian, helped her
to her couch; and then, with her own
hands she prepared hot brandy sling
for her relief. ooh would give all the
world if she had not done itp' said the
poor woman as she wept bitter tears, "but
I had not the courage to tell my weak
ness, so that she would remove the
temptation, and she urged me to take it;
holding it so near that [ got smell Of
the brandy, and then I could not resist.
I slipped out of the house that evening
to get just one drink more, and never
got back again, for the next knew [
found myself locked up in the station
house. Three times have I passed
through the terrible struggle to control
my appetite, and every time have, after
a long spell of abstinence, been tempted
to return to the bottle by having it adj
ministered to me for medicine. 1 don't
blame these 'well-meaning women, for
they did it all in the greatest kindness,
but oh! I do wish for the sake of others
they could learn betterp'
.SUPT. SOCIAL PURITY also have
been interested in this case of the dress
maker in the jail, and we are trying to
get her into a place where she will not
soon as her term of imprisonment expires.
We women talk good deal OF drunk
ards, and now pause to think that the
term covers vast army of women as well
as men. And while men meet their
temptation to drink very often in bust
ness life, the woman meets this foe to
human happiness in her own home, and
in many instances, through its presence
there not as beverage, but as medicine.
So many women say, II always keep a
little homemade wine in the house in
case of sickness" [ know noble
Christian woman, reared by total absti-
hence parents, who utterly astounded me
by confession of secret and tremendous
struggles against an appetite for liquor,
which she acquired by taking it, at the
advice of a friend, for her poor health.
She was a married women before she
ever knew the taste of liquor, and it was
then more than ten years since drop
had passed her lips, and still she had not
yet conquered her love for it. Let us re-
member that the whole number Of women
outcasts is more than the multitude OF
White Ribboners in our country, and a
large share of them have been driven
forth from virtuous homes, because the
domestic remedy gained shelter there.
SUPT. HEREDITY.-Besides those who
are struggling against acquired habits,
and to whom the! giving of glass OF
liquor, even as medicine, is an OHense,
let us not forget that there are also many
who carry, unconsciously, within them
the sleeping demon Of hereditary appetite.
Mrs. CT see that DR.. Anna P-has
just entered the room, and I propose that
we ask her to tell us of some of the
remedies which we may substitute for
alcohol.
DIR. P.-H I thought that as conse- |
auence of my recommendation of certain |
remedies for household use, any who
hear me would be tempted to use them as
freely as alcohol has been used in times
past, nothing would tempt me to open
my lips. The enormous proportion to |
which the idea of the usefulness of drugs
has developed in the imagination of some |
people, is to be greatly deplored. But
that you are fast learning not (
only to put alcohol aside, but also, in /
most instances, to use nothing as sub I
stitute, I will say briefly, it is a good /
thing to keen q little of the aromatic [